So far, 222 witnesses have deposed in the case. These include victims of the blast that took place on September 29, 2008 leading to the death of six and injuries to over 100. (File photo) In the ongoing trial into the 2008 Malegaon blast case, accused Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit has sought a ban on “all types of existing media, social media users” from reporting “anything and everything” till the conclusion of the case.
Special Judge Prashant Sitre directed the NIA and the intervener on behalf of a blast victim to file a reply.
Purohit’s plea says all leading mainstream electronic agencies have involved themselves in debates and discussions about the case in contravention of a previous order by the trial court.
In 2019, the NIA had sought to make the proceedings in-camera, restricting the media from covering the daily proceedings. The trial court had rejected the NIA’s application. It had said that a reason for rejecting the plea for in-camera proceedings is conducting the trial in a transparent manner.
An intervention filed by reporters, including from The Indian Express, opposing the NIA’s plea was partly allowed. The court had then said that the media cannot name witnesses and report the trial in a factual way without adding personal or editorial note. It also said that no debates or discussions should be held. The court said that if there is any violation, legal action would be taken in accordance with the law.
Purohit’s plea says that no presence of the media should be allowed in the courtroom. “It is requested that in the interest of justice and conduct of fair trial, the case should be confined to the courtroom and should not be allowed to be hijacked by opinion makers and anti-national opportunists,” the plea says.
So far, 222 witnesses have deposed in the case. These include victims of the blast that took place on September 29, 2008 leading to the death of six and injuries to over 100. Sixteen of these witnesses have turned hostile, including those connected with Purohit and the Abhinav Bharat trust, the organisation allegedly linked to him.
Seven persons, including Purohit, BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur, retired major Ramesh Upadhyay, Sameer Kulkarni, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Sudhakar Dhar Dwivedi, are facing trials on various charges, including those under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Kulkarni, who was present in the court Tuesday, opposed Purohit’s plea.
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
